NY redistricting process enters next phase after court orders redraw of state’s congressional districts — with taxpayer cost ballooning to $2.4M

New York’s redistricting process is entering its next phase after a court ordered the state’s redistricting panel to redraw its congressional districts, with taxpayers once again footing the bill for millions of dollars of legal and consulting fees.

The convoluted process mired in legal battles has cost nearly $2.4 million in taxpayer money, according to a Post analysis.

That dollar figure is only expected to rise as the Independent Redistricting Commission met Thursday for the first time since this month’s landmark court ruling.

The commission quickly approved new staff appointments and extended the contract of an outside firm to do the heavy lifting of drawing detailed apportionments.

“They’re technicians, and they’re experts in that field, to be able to draw the lines necessary, taking into account all the considerations that we need to do from a Voting Rights Act perspective,” IRC Co-Commissioner Ken Jenkins told reporters after the meeting Thursday.

California-based Redistricting Partners was first brought on to help facilitate the redistricting panel in August of 2021, contracted for up to $500,000. The firm has billed the state for nearly that whole amount.

That’s only a fraction of the nearly $2.4 million in taxpayer dollars spent on the process to date, based on The Post’s analysis.

Almost $1.7 million of that has gone to fund lawyers amid several legal fights which have led to the latest round of upheaval ahead of 2024.

The Democratic majority in the state Senate signed a retainer with Manhattan-based law firm Cuti, Hecker and Wang in June 2021.

According to retainer agreements obtained by The Post, lawmakers were prepared to spend up to $3 million on the outside firm, which provides advice on how to draft the redistricting plans and represent the state Senate Democrats if they were challenged in court.

So far, Cuti, Hecker and Wang has billed the state almost $537,000.

Democrats in the state Assembly followed suit, contracting with the law firm Graubard Miller at a $1.5 million retainer — $245,000 of which has been billed to the state.

Both firms were heavily involved in the first major leg of the redistricting litigation which ultimately saw the state’s highest court toss out gerrymandered maps passed by the state legislature.

The Democrat and Republican commissioners of the redistricting panel also lawyered up in the summer of 2021.

The Republicans went with Perillo and Hill, LLC and the Democrats with Jenner & Block, LLC. Both were retained at $675,000 for a year of work.

The Republicans’ counsel has billed the state almost $178,000. The Democrats had to amend their retainer, with Jenner & Block billing the state $772,000.

Both Republicans and Democrats have spent unknown sums of their own cash to push their legal claims as well.

Despite having only a little more than two months to submit a map to the legislature for approval, the commissioners had few details to share Thursday on the process moving forward.

Designating petitions for primary ballot access can start being passed as soon as Feb. 27 – leaving the commission with virtually no room for the same disagreements that deadlocked the process and left the door open for the legislature to attempt a gerrymander in early 2022.

Jenkins confirmed that the commission would not hold public hearings around the state as it did under the constitution in 2021. He said the commission already has records of all the public testimony from its first crack at drawing the maps.

The panel’s lead Democrat did say it’s possible the panel could use the existing court-drawn map as a starting point — though the commissioners still need to confer on the topic.

“There’s no questions about the map itself,” Jenkins said. “It’s all about the process, and we’re gonna go follow that process now.”

The commission’s Republican co-chairman, Charles Nesbitt agreed.

“There’s no issues with a map identified,” Nesbitt said. “I mean, we’ll look at them. The court had all of our records and testimony available to them when they drew it.”

Making tweaks to the existing map hurt Democrats who see the court’s order as an opportunity to redraw the maps in such a way that would help win back control of the House in 2024.

Speaking with reporters, Jenkins indicated he would not give in to demands from the Working Families Party that he step down from the commission.

The Democratic chair also serves as deputy to Westchester County Executive George Latimer who is challenging incumbent “squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).

“We’re navigating this process to get it done pursuant to court order,” Jenkins said. “That’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on any outside concerns.”

Jenkins said that anyone concerned with his independence should “watch the process.”